Commenting on the previously-announced deadline of 17 July, the Commission said it had been decided to find a solution for the Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility by the next visit of EC representatives.
"This week, the European Commission is waiting for a report on technical solutions. After receiving the report, the European Commission services, keeping contact with all donors of the fund for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant, will analyze whether the solutions are realistic and implementable," the European Commission said in a statement a copy of which was given to BNS by the European Commission Representation in Lithuanian.
"In terms of the 17 July deadline, it was decided during the last working visit that countries involved should find a proper technical solution regarding the Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility (B1) by the next visit of EC representatives," the European Commission said.
EC representatives have recently come to Vilnius at the invitation of Lithuanian Minister of Energy Arvydas Sekmokas to discuss the progress of the Ignalina N-plant decommissioning.
"In the wake of a conflict between the contracting party and the contractor, the European Commission has clearly stated many times that both sides – NUKEM and Ignalina nuclear power plant – have to find a proper technical solution as soon as possible," the statement says.
The European Commission says it was informed before the visit that the operator of Ignalina nuclear power plant and the contractor NUKEM-GNS had found a technical solution and plan to sign a written agreement on it.
The EU executive also stressed that "the contractor NUKEM-GNS was selected following a transparent international tender."
"The European Commission wants to see clear progress in the decommissioning of the power plant and in ensuring effective control of the process. The Government of Lithuania and the European Commission have the same goal of safe and economically-founded decommissioning of the power plant by previously-agreed deadlines. It was discussed at a meeting of high representatives of the European Commission and Lithuania in November 2011. Despite that, many technical and commercial issues regarding the safe decommissioning of Ignalina nuclear power plant remain," the European Commission says.
A delegation from the European Parliament warned Lithuania last week the EU might freeze funding if no agreement on projects related to the decommissioning of Ignalina N-plant facility is found.
Lithuania says Brussels and German company with Russian venture capital, Nukem, whose German partner GNS produces unfitted and uncertified containers, are partly to blame for the delay.
According to the Lithuanian Television, Lithuanian negotiations managed to find agreement with Nukem before the EP delegation left. Reports say the government gave the container manufacturer around six months to provide a license. Their reliability will be also evaluated by the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate (VATESI).
EU and Lithuanian officials acknowledge that problems related to the N-plant decommissioning projects might undermine Lithuania's position in the negotiations on EU aid for the Ignalina closure in the EU's 2014-2020 budget. The European Commission propose providing EUR 270 million for Lithuania, but Vilnius says over EUR 700 million are needed.
